Abstract:  This article presents a conceptual framework that integrates the Leave No One Behind (LNOB) principle with co-creation practices in transformative sustainability research. While both LNOB and co-creation are central to international policy agendas, they are often applied separately, limiting their potential to address systemic inequities. To bridge this gap, we developed a framework based on a rapid evidence assessment of academic literature and empirical insights from a Horizon Europe project focused on the empowerment of coastal communities. The framework comprises three interlinked pillars: structural (who is left behind and why?), subjective (how is exclusion experienced?), and action (what can be done to foster inclusion?). The article provides reflective questions and strategies for designing, implementing, and evaluating more inclusive processes in transformative, transdisciplinary projects across different phases of co-creation. Using an empirical example from northern Norway, we demonstrate how LNOB-oriented co-creation can reveal and counteract longstanding coastal marginalization, particularly inequities related to recognition, resource distribution, and procedural fairness. We also show that empowerment-based co-creation can enhance community agency and contribute to broader blue justice debates, while highlighting institutional and methodological challenges that constrain the systematic integration of LNOB in marine-related participatory processes. We conclude that co-creation without an explicit LNOB lens risks overlooking structural inequities, especially in remote coastal regions. By situating the framework within current discussions on blue justice, alternative blue economies, and participatory coastal governance, we offer researchers and practitioners a simple tool to support more equitable and empowering coastal futures.

Keywords:  Arctic communities; blue growth; blue justice; coastal communities; empowerment; inequality; Leaving No One Behind; sustainability; transdisciplinary research

Published:   9 September 2026

Issue:   Vol 3 (2026): Empowerment and Blue Justice in Coastal Communities (In Progress)